Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Russia

Birth

:

June 17, 1919 in Petrograd, Russia

Death

:

December 22, 2006 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Galina Ustvolskaya was a Russian composer who was born on June 17, 1919, in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Russia. She was the daughter of a military officer and a pianist, and her mother was her first music teacher. Ustvolskaya began composing at a young age and studied at the Leningrad Conservatory, where she was a student of Dmitri Shostakovich. Ustvolskaya's early works were influenced by Shostakovich, but she soon developed her own unique style. Her music was characterized by its intense emotional power, stark simplicity, and use of unconventional instruments. She often used percussion instruments, including anvils, wood blocks, and tam-tams, to create a sense of violence and brutality in her music. One of Ustvolskaya's most famous works is her Piano Sonata No. 6, which she composed in 1988. The piece is known for its extreme difficulty and its use of clusters of notes played with the fists. Ustvolskaya described the piece as a "prayer" and said that it was inspired by the suffering of the Russian people. Another notable work by Ustvolskaya is her Symphony No. 5, which she composed in 1988. The piece is scored for a large orchestra and features a solo trumpet that plays a haunting melody throughout the work. The symphony is known for its intense emotional power and its use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies. Ustvolskaya's music was often controversial in the Soviet Union, where the government preferred more traditional styles of music. Despite this, she continued to compose and was eventually recognized as one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Her music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and has been recorded by many prominent musicians. Ustvolskaya died on December 22, 2006, in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was 87 years old. Her legacy as a composer continues to inspire musicians and audiences around the world.

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